


My Answer

by moonhyun



Category: VIXX
Genre: Death Acceptance (kind of), Gen, Long-Haired Hongbin, Near Death Experiences, Platonic Nbin, Platonic Relationships, hakyeon and hongbin are lonely, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 13:53:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonhyun/pseuds/moonhyun
Summary: It's kind of ironic, really, that he'll die by the hands of the waters he knows so well.





	My Answer

Hakyeon sits on the deck, kicking his feet slowly back and forth as he looks out into the ocean. His dark hair whips around him with every gust of wind and Hakyeon had never felt this content, not even in his own home. The setting sun paints his tanned skin with warm light that wraps around him like a blanket and with a grin he stretches, shoulders popping.

Hakyeon has lived near the ocean his whole life, in a small house just a little ways walk from the beach. His father had taken him out sailing as soon as he could walk, showing him how the boat works and how to navigate with the stars, and years after that, he found himself running to the ocean any chance he got. So much to the point that his uncle - who lives in the city - stated with a smirk that one day he'd grow scales and a tail. His father had stepped in immediately, shutting down the thought of his son being one of them.

Hakyeon knows what they are, what their relationship is with humans - what they could do to you if they managed to catch you. He's heard stories of clawed hands and sharp teeth with long, large tales with scales made of diamonds where legs should be. He was taught to fear them, to loathe them. But his curiosity and love for sea foam outweighed that fear.

He wasn't even sure if they existed. All in all, anyone who encountered one wouldn't live to tell the tale.

Hakyeon breathes a silent sigh and stands, taking one last look at the sunset before he started heading home. As he picks up his bag that lay closer to the shore, something catches his eye by the rocks further out. The water moves as if something had disturbed it and Hakyeon, who has never doubted his sight in his life, sees what looks like hair; lengthy brown human hair. Something strikes a thought into him that someone's drowning and he drops his things, running to where the rocks curve to the shore to form a cove. The rocks dig into his feet as he climbs them. It takes him a moment to reach the spot and he finds the water perfectly still as though nothing had disturbed it. He looks around for any sign of what he saw, catching his breath.

"What..." he mutters, running his hands through his hair.

He goes to fix his footing but as he starts to move, two waves hit the rocks, one after the other. The force of the waves makes him lose his ground and the next thing he knows is he's slipping and submerged. Another wave hits as he's trying to reach the surface and he hits his head roughly against the rock. His vision blackens around the edges and water starts making its way into his lungs. His chest is burning and his head feels like it's going to explode. Hakyeon tries to pull himself up but he's too weak; his limbs feel like jelly, not being able to get a good grip on the rocks, sea foam clouding his sight. He fights against the waves that continuously crash down on him, fights for breath, fights for life, but it all becomes fruitless when he can barely move a finger.

It's kind of ironic, really, that he'll die by the hands of the waters he knows so well.

Hakyeon's mind accepts it, but his lungs continue to burn and his legs twitch. There's nothing waiting for him back home except the shelves of books that he prides himself into skimming through every night, the warm and silent company of them lulling him to sleep with the sound of the waves and the smell of sea salt in the air, so it's not like he'll be leaving anything behind. His family had moved to the city some years ago when he was just barely old enough to take care of himself. He hasn't spoken to them in a long time and he stopped trying when they ceased all contact with him. They won't even know that he's gone.

A flash of color breaks through all the bubbles and white foam before he closes his eyes: splashes of pink and shining gold and the faintest glimmer of blue. It comes as fast as it goes and Hakyeon thinks it's a nice thing to see before everything becomes black.

A disembodied touch wraps around his arm and another around his waist as he loses consciousness and gives into the feeling.

There's a weird sensation spreading through his body as he plunges into darkness. It leaves him warm but cold, heavy yet light. Hakyeon's hearing goes back and forth between static and waves and nothing, and he wonders if this is what it feels like to die. 

Except the next thing he feels is someone moving his hair from his forehead with a gentle touch.

Hakyeon opens his eyes with a sharp intake of breath and he's met with the starry night sky. He turns to his side as he coughs up water. He stays like that for a moment before he deems himself okay enough and pushes himself up with blurry eyes. Through the distorted image he can make out that one of his sandals is missing and next to him is a humanoid figure. 

"H-hello?" he says as he puts his palms to his eyes, his voice hoarse. There's shuffling around him along with the melodic sound of the waves and he almost thinks that the other had left him until a voice rings out that warms Hakyeon from the inside out. 

"You should be more careful," the other says matter-of-factly. Hakyeon didn't expect that. 

When Hakyeon opens his eyes, his vision is cleared and he realizes that he's on a smaller rock closer to the shore. With his sight back to normal he can now properly see the one who saved him. He's met with a boy with wide, impassive eyes and long brown hair that's done into a half ponytail. He's shirtless and Hakyeon can see how toned he is, from his arms to his chest. He's beautiful, Hakyeon reckons, like a model. The moonlight bathes him in a heavenly glow and Hakyeon can see the stray water droplets on his shoulders. His lower half is still in the water and Hakyeon finds it strange. 

"Thank you," he says instead and runs his hand through his hair. The brunette nods and rests his head in his arms, looking out at the sparkling waves before them. The two sit in silence for a while, the waves slowly crashing against the rock being the only sound that keeps them from basking in total silence. His savior's presence is comforting and it let's him unwind from his previous life-threatening event. It's only then that he comes to the conclusion that the other's hair looks exactly like the hair from before. His shoulders tense as he looks back at the brunette; his eyes are closed and he looks to be asleep, but Hakyeon knows better. If he's correct, it would explain why he chooses to stay in the water.

"What's your name?" he asks, keeping his voice steady. "I'm Hakyeon."

"I know," the other replies with no hesitation. His eyes are still closed and Hakyeon can almost count his eyelashes. "I'm Hongbin."

"Where are you from, Hongbin?"

Hongbin must sense the underlying tone in his question as he opens his eyes a little too quickly.

"A little far away from here." 

He's starting to sound a little defensive, Hakyeon concludes, and he wonders how far he'll be able to probe until the other breaks. He's just curious, is all; if Hongbin is really like all the others in the stories he's heard growing up. Hongbin, so far, has been docile and calm and doesn't reflect the monsters his father despises so much. If Hongbin is what Hakyeon thinks he is, he hopes he stays that way. 

The silence returns and he watches Hongbin who hasn't looked away from the moonlit horizon. The waves reflect the moonlight onto Hongbin's skin, the moving waves reflected onto him and it's almost mesmerizing with how ethereal it makes the him look. Despite the ever present deadpan expression Hongbin's eyes hold something far away in them that looks desperate to be spilled and put to ease and something else that he can't quite put his finger on. Hakyeon has almost always been able to tell what someone was thinking. To him, people were like an open book waiting to be read and Hakyeon didn't mind being the first one to turn a page. He isn't sure if he should be the one to turn Hongbin's page, hell he isn't sure if Hongbin even wants him to, and he sits there as he fidgets with his fingers, debating with himself if he should even try to read a least a couple of sentences. 

But it's Hongbin that turns the page for him. 

"Are you scared?" he breathes. His voice is small and Hakyeon can finally see the flicker of loneliness that's almost flushed out by the light of the sea. It's all too familiar to him and something heavy sits against his chest. 

Hakyeon wonders if Hongbin knows just how many questions he just answered for him with one of his own. It's a small, silent victory. 

Hakyeon shifts his position carefully and weighs his thoughts. He doesn't want to say the wrong thing in fear of closing Hongbin off, so with a smile small and comforting, he answers with a voice as light as air. "No."

The smile he gets in return marvels the sun.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not sure where all of this came from, but i really enjoyed writing this! i'm not sure whether i want to keep this as just a stand alone or make a series of one shots for this au. maybe i'll see to experimenting in the future ^^


End file.
